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1st Century AD

Discussion in 'History Forum' started by Carolina Buckeye, Dec 18, 2010.

  1. Carolina Buckeye

    Carolina Buckeye New Member

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    Merry Christmas,

    I am looking for good books about the first century AD. Some topics of interest.

    Is there anyplace (website or book) where I can go to read the versions of early churh history and the gospels that were rejected by the council of Nicaea(sp?) and Constantine?

    Is there any research on the background of the apostle Paul?

    Is there any history of the Jerusalem church that focuses on the ministry of James after the crucifixion and resurrection?

    I appreciate any leads that the community here can give me.
     
  2. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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  3. Carolina Buckeye

    Carolina Buckeye New Member

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    Thanks Salty. The web site is very helpful.
     
  4. Jim1999

    Jim1999 <img src =/Jim1999.jpg>

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    Funny, cos I checked the site and got a lot of garbage about tv interviews..............

    Cheers,

    Jim
     
  5. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    The library on the campus of Southern Seminary has about 1 million works, all detailing the issues you seek in one form or another.

    I suspect that you are trying to figure out if or where the "church" strayed from what it was that God wanted, and are looking to do some research to confirm whether or not this actually happened. That would be in line with a current line of reasoning picked up and pushed forward on unsuspecting people by places like the History Channel and Dan Brown's novels. What I can say with some assurance after reading somewhere over 3000 books on these and other subjects related is that both the HC and Dan Brown are WRONG.

    If you are on another quest, forgive me, and we can talk further.

    As to good works to read, I highly recommend Tom Schreiner's book on Paul:
    http://www.amazon.com/dp/0830828257/?tag=baptis04-20
    He will clear up a lot of issues that you raise.

    As for the non-canonical books, there are multiple web sites that host copies of those free for the reading. Beware that the non-canonical books are that way for a reason. It was not as some have said, that the church rejected alliterative versions of Christianity, but rather that the alternative versions of Christianity were not Christian at all.

    Another good read about the influence of Greek writings in the early church is Ron Nash, The Gospel and the Greeks.
    http://www.amazon.com/dp/0875525598/?tag=baptis04-20

    I knew Dr. Nash and he has some really good views that are well researched.

    What of James and the Jerusalem Church of the 1st century? They drifted to a heretical stance and literally blew up, like many liberal churches still do today. The influence of the Judiazers and Pharisees won out until there was no church left. Earlier, God broke up the church in Jerusalem and sent the people packing all over the region, and while they were still orthodox, they carried the gospel all over Asia Minor. You can read about that in Acts and from some of the comments in Paul's epistles.

    If you wish to read the actual writings of the earliest Fathers of the Church, you can find there on-line also. Here is a link to the Anti-Nicene Church Fathers series. Don't be thrown off by the title, it, like a lot of theological issues does not mean what it sounds like it means. It is just the Fathers of the church before Nicea.

    http://www.ccel.org/fathers.html

    I highly commend the study of the Church Fathers to all who are interested. From them, one will find almost every verse of the NT cited -- long before the entire NT was codified into a single canon we call The Bible. Also, one finds a great description of how those discipled by the original 11 and Paul saw the church, God, Jesus, and the continued actions of Christianity.
     
  6. Carolina Buckeye

    Carolina Buckeye New Member

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    Hi GL

    I guess I would describe what I am looking for as this:

    I have always loved history. I have always had an interest in the Knights Templars. I was reading a book that discussed Rosslyn Chapel in Scotland. According to the authors the Templars digging under the temple of Herod found scrolls that would drastically change the way we perceive Christianity.

    Their claims of Templar exploits seemed well backed including the Templars landing in North America a century and a half before Columbus.

    The authors took many views that go against main line Christianity and I wanted to research it for myself.

    I'm also very interested in how much of Constantine's contribution was designed to improve our understanding of Christ and how much was to consolidate the role of the church as the backbone of his political power.

    I appreciate the discussion I have heard here. It has been ointment to my spirit.
     
  7. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    Coast to Coast AM has frequent programs on alternative history. see list of past programs on www.coasttocoastam.com
     
  8. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    CtC are nuts
     
  9. Carolina Buckeye

    Carolina Buckeye New Member

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  10. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    Some CtoC are nuts. But they were talking about Gulf War syndrome many years before your favorite government admitted it existed.
     
  11. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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    I would argue it was just "some"

    I prefer to listen to the "Redeye" early am
     
  12. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    I would guess that you may have ran across a book called "Holy Blood, Holy Grail" or "The Jesus Papers" by Micahel Baigent. Both books were sort of the core material for Dan Brown's "DaVinci Code". Note that none of what was presented in either book had any basis in fact. Brown's novel was admittedly fictional, but he presented it as if it were fact. Virtually every line of text that Brown wrote concerning anything to do with the church was either an outright lie or (with a little grace) at best a distortion of actual history. Baigent was as bad or worse, and more, he believes that he has written factual works.

    He has since been exposed as a fraud, and his work discredited. He used the old trick of citing a person who cited a person who cited a person, etc., but there was never a real source document for any of what he wrote.

    I find that technique used often -- especially in areas that are now politically sensitive, global warming, population control, secular takes on religion, Dawkin's new book on Atheism, etc.

    Kudos to you for wanting to dig into this subject to discern what really happened.

    Start with just about any book featured on this Amazon page...

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/1592761011/?tag=baptis04-20
     
  13. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    If you want a very simple and easy read with regard to the early church and church fathers I would recommend the following:

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/0898708478/?tag=baptis04-20

    I found it to be quite informative and enjoyable and written in such a way the author almost makes you feel as though you were there.
     
  14. BobinKy

    BobinKy New Member

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    quantumfaith...

    Thanks for the suggestion.

    ...Bob
     
  15. Salty

    Salty 20,000 Posts Club
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  16. quantumfaith

    quantumfaith Active Member

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    But be forewarned, I believe, if my memory serves me correctly, the author is catholic, however, there is little if any in the way of commentary on Catholic doctrine. It is primarily a history book of early church fathers.
     
  17. Matt Black

    Matt Black Well-Known Member
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    Caroline, try Eusebius' Church History as a starting point for answers to many of your questions.
     
  18. Carolina Buckeye

    Carolina Buckeye New Member

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    Thanks Matt. That one has shown up as a source in many of the web sites I have seen.
     
  19. glfredrick

    glfredrick New Member

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    #19 glfredrick, Dec 21, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 21, 2010
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